1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a diagnostic procedure for detecting cancer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,817 discloses a very useful technique for the detection of cancer. This technique is based upon the discovery that serum samples from mammals suffering from cancer contain a unique protein which has been termed the B-protein. By assaying for the B-protein one is able to determine whether or not a serum sample is from a cancerous source.
In the preferred technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,817 the serum sample is incubated with CoA-SPC Bakers' yeast extract and suitable radioactively tagged substrates therefor. As a result of this incubation and subsequent manipulative steps it is possible to discriminate between cancerous and non-cancerous samples through the use of conventional radiomarker assay procedures. This test has proven capable of not only detecting the presence of cancer but of also following the treatment of any cancerous patient. Thus, using the procedure of this patent one can follow the progress of the cancer treatments in a very simple and safe manner. This offers the obvious benefit of allowing the doctor to terminate treatments once remission of the cancer has been achieved. Unfortunately, this test contains several labor intensive steps. In particular, it is necessary to incubate the serum sample with the reagent mixture and subsequently denaturize. These steps do not lend themselves readily to automation. Thus, the procedure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,817 has not been adopted by the medical profession as one of those tests routinely given during physical examinations.
Accordingly, there continues to exist the need for a cancer detection test which may be rapidly and simply performed which is able to discriminate between cancerous serum samples from mammals and non-cancerous ones.